genealogy and family ties

The Grave of Old King Coilus

My research into my dad’s direct family line back to the British Isles has had few if any results so sometimes for fun I go online to see if any new information is available concerning Coil/Coel/Coile/Cowell/Kyle/Cole origins. Below is a link to a photo and brief historical and archaeological notes on the grave of King Coilus, a warrior king buried where he fell in battle and who was possibly the inspiration for the ancient nursery rhyme Old King Cole.

The King’s burial mound (well, after several centuries it’s become a mound!) is in the Eglinton Castle (now in ruins, the ancient stronghold of the Montgomery clan) area near Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland:

There is also Caprington Castle (generational home of the Cuninghame family) about 2 miles from Kilmarnock in Ayrshire. I add its link here because the grave of King Coilus contained relics such as bits of armor, urns of burned bones (which disintegrated when opened), and a Caprington Horn. Of course, the Castle was built centuries after the era of King Coilus so there may be no actual link between the man and this particular castle – other than the one I’m imagining!

And yet…another WordPress blog written by Zachary Burton tells the story of Old King Coilus, poet Robert Burns‘ familiarity with the ancient legend and how he wrote of it in his poems, and the Caprington Horn which was ‘taken to the castle’!

“There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: One is roots, the other is wings.” Teaching children values and giving them the opportunity to excel are essential to good parenting. However, I feel I must also provide my children (and myself) insight into the ones who came before us: our ancestors whose lives and stories have shaped us into who we are. This is my journey; these are their stories…